Fly Away, Little Bird
by SeasprayLuv
Summary: When Chell manages to keep Wheatley from flying out into the void of space, she has no idea what she's gotten into. Follow the dramatic, dangerous story of a mute, a lunatic and a moron as they fight the fight of a life time. - Rating reduced from 'T' to 'K ' because of extensive re-write. Rating is expected to change in later chapters. -
1. The Moon

Fly Away, Little Bird  
**  
**Chapter 1

* * *

Wheatley's voice thundered across the room as the explosion tossed her like a rag doll. "... and part five! Booby-trap the stalemate button!"

Time seemed to slow down as she hit the floor, nearly paralyzed by the sudden impact of the surprise explosion. She sat up woozily, her eyes meeting his. His expressive optic looked back at her in disgust and frustration.

"_What? _You're still _alive?_You've got to be kidding me! _Please _tell me you're kidding me!"

Everything was so fuzzy. It was almost like looking and listening through murky water. A dull ache radiated from every part of her body as she struggled to hold on. She almost agreed with him. How could someone hurt this bad, and still be alive? Yet... somehow she was. She stared at him dumbly, stuck somewhere between the relief of surviving, the furious grief of losing a friend and the terror of being left with a murderous sociopath.

She stared up as the corrupt robot prattled on and on, tears in her burning eyes. What could she do though? Go back in time, and prove to him that she tried to catch him, prevent him from every one of his ridiculous attempts at 'hacking'? Perhaps prove that she was happy for him - well, that she had been happy for him- until he tried to kill her? It wouldn't matter. If there was one thing he had on his side, it was his inability to realize the truth even when it punched him in his stupid little robot face. Of course, back before he'd taken over GLaDOS' body, he'd always been the first to apologize. But now...where had all of that gone? He was going to kill her, and the thought made her sick.

Chell was ripped from her thought by a sudden explosion of sound. The ceiling creaked and groaned, unable to support its self any longer. Her eyes jerked away from the traitorous personality construct, looking up in wonder as a single chunk of the roof caved in. The night sky exploded into existence, and the moon filled the sky.

_Beautiful._

She was very nearly mesmerized. She never imagined that she'd see it again... but there it was, hanging like a lantern of a hope in an inky sea of desperation. She sighed quietly to herself.

Suddenly, an idea clicked.

_That man... _She thought quickly, _Cave Johnson... he said that moon rocks are great conductors for portals._

There it was, the biggest moon rock in existence.

_But it's so far away..._

Even as well as the Dual Portal Device worked, was there any chance that it would reach the moon? She shook off the thought as soon as it dawned on her. It was at least worth a try, and if it didn't work, she'd lost nothing. She reached up, and let fly.

There was a small glimmer, followed by a split-second of absolute silence.

The world turned itself inside out, with a furious roar. The vacuum howled in her ears as it sucked her toward oblivion. She reached out, hands scrambling for something to save her, something... anything! Her fingers scraped along the floor at a frightening speed. Her hand caught on something. Pain shot through her shoulder, as she struggled to take in her situation. Before she could blink her eyes, she was enveloped by the icy void of space.**  
**Pebbles and rubble whizzed past her like bullets, cutting into her like tiny razors. She looked over her shoulder, only to be met with the desolate face of the moon, only populated by a discarded old spacecraft, and a stationary flag. That, and stars, earth and then the endless plane of darkness. She started to lose herself to the vastness of it.

"_AAH!" _cried an anguished voice, English accent piercing the thinning air. It brought her back to her senses. Shock numbed her body as she held on for dear life. _"SPACE! AAH! Let go! We're in space!" _She stared into his frightened optic in disbelief.

_Did... he just ask me to let go?_

A ball of yellow light streaked past them, knocking one of her hands off of the handles. She wheeled around, desperately grabbing. "Let go! Let go! _I'm still connected!_I can pull myself back in!"

She stared at him as rocks and bits of metal embedded themselves into her skin. It was a terrifying feeling, only being connected to earth by a thin wire. How easy would it be for her to be cut free? To let her zoom off into space and suffer a short, excruciating death? She squeezed her eyes shut, holding herself closer to the screaming personality construct.

"Let me go! I can still _fix_ this!"

Tears streamed down her face.

_This is it. This is how I'm going to die... _Her fingers strained to hold onto his slippery handles.

She looked up at the planet looming above her. Could that really be her home? How many things would she never see again? Water? Grass? Trees? Sunsets? The smiling face of a lover? Even if they were all distant, foreign ideas, the idea of them being ripped from her grasp hurt.

'_I don't want to go!' _She thought with sad realization,'_I'm not ready!'_

There wasn't much that she could do about it. Even if she could somehow get back into Aperture, she'd be evaporated by a nuclear explosion. How likely was it that GLaDOS could actually get there in time? She had no arms, no legs... no chance. She mused over the idea of accepting her fate. Making it her choice. She probably wouldn't have to think about it very long. One, two excruciating minutes at the most. She was _so _tired. It could all be over.

"Please!" Wheatley whispered, his optic growing panicked.

Her fingers were slipping. A thankful, satisfied look crossed over the core's optic. "That's right, love. Just a few more inches. I can still fix it if you just _let go._"

_"I've already fixed it!" _cried a melodic voice in outrage. Could it be? Chell scarcely dared to believe it._"And you are not coming back!" _A huge mechanical arm reached out into space, grabbing her wrist with robotic purpose.

Wheatley looked at Chell, his 'pupil' shrinking to a pinpoint. "Oh! Oh no! Change of plans!" his voice was urgent, "Hold onto me tighter!"

A bold request from someone who'd just asked her to throw herself into the void of space for him. No remorse. She was too numb to be outraged.

"_Let him go! __Do it now!" _GLaDOS cried, her voice garbled by roar of escaping air. Chell froze.

His terror saturated voice shrieked into the roar of the void, "Please, don't let go of me! Please, don't do it lady! Don't let go!"

She thought about all the times he'd tried to kill her. She shook her head. Maybe it was the lack of oxygen, but she just couldn't seem to make her hands work. She pulled him tightly to her, unsure of exactly why she was doing it. GLaDOS gave her a stiff shake. Her wrist was starting to ache, but she held on tighter. Reluctantly, GLaDOS pulled her back in.

Chell's knees gave way as soon as her feet touched the floor, slumping over onto Wheatley. She lie on his hull for what felt like hours, gulping mouthfuls of air. It took a long time for the shock of suddenly being delivered from death to wear off, and when her mind came back to her, she still had trouble wrapping her mind around it.

_'I'm alive.'_

She looked around, lips trembling. Her hands drew Wheatley closer. Never before, had she noted the clinical beauty of aperture. Even in its ruined form, it was solid. Filled with life giving oxygen, harsh color and light...

Her lips trembled as she sat up. Wheatley sat silently in her lap, not able to make a sound. She started to cry.

GLaDOS stared at her. Her savior, the harbinger of death herself. Chell cried harder and harder, silent sobs eventually shaking her slender frame. First, sobbing over the joy of surviving the vacuum of space, then the shock of being happy to be back inside of Aperture, and finally... sorrow over the sure loss of her freedom. There was no way GLaDOS would let her get away with something like this. Never in a million years.

But she was _alive. _What a wonderful word. It was so full of potential. So full of promise, and hope.

Back in her own body, GLaDOS was now glaring at her. Her tense silence filled the room like a blanket of fog. But she didn't say anything. The laugh started off low, and grew. "Hello, [Subject Name redacted]. I see you've brought a _visitor_." The strange amusement in her voice was unmistakable. Chell's sobbing stopped abruptly as the voice grew low. A sultry, sinister laugh filled the room.

"Welcome back."

There was a long pause. Chell looked up in confusion, her wide eyes following GLaDOS glowing optic.

"You just can't listen, can you?" GLaDOS sighed, " I ask you to do one simple thing...let go of the moron, for instance, and what's the one thing you do? You bring him back. It's okay though. You're not going anywhere. Neither of you are going _anywhere._" She started laughing again. Her whole chassis was twisted up, tensed like a snake ready to strike. "Maybe you really are brain damaged. I shouldn't be surprised. If you'd fall for _his _tricks, it's no small wonder... but you've done the one thing I asked you not to do. Were you feeling rebellious? Did you think I wouldn't let you go into space? Whatever the reason, here we are. Together at last. Now I can get my revenge on both of the monsters responsible for my misfortune."

GLaDOS giggled like a small child as Chell's heart hit the floor. Of course.

She looked down at Wheatley, quietly wondering if it had all been worth it. Their eyes met for a for a second, and his gaze quickly shifted away. Perhaps it was guilt, but she doubted it.

_He was never worth it._

_" _I just wanted to give you a _proper_ welcome home_."_

Streamers and confetti shot into the room as a party horn sounded off sarcastically. There wasn't much Chell hated more than GLaDOS 'jokes'. Her face burned with frustration. She sniffed hard, trying not to start crying again, and noticed that something smelled... funny. Her ears picked up on a light hissing sound lightly reverberating off of the walls. She looked up, to see a fine mist filling the room. Her wide eyes shot to the cold, unfeeling optic of her captor.

GLaDOS chassis hung low, her sultry voice sounding off in faux concern, _"Is something wrong [Subject Name Redacted]? Was the celebratory confetti not to your liking? Perhaps It's the deadly neurotoxin. Also a special present I've been saving for you. I hope you enjoy it. "_

She got up, and ran toward the door, Wheatley still firmly attached to her hands.

_I need to get out! I need to get away! _Her mind raced as panic set in.

She threw her hands up, hitting him on the door. He whimpered quietly as she hammered his hull against the hard surface.

Slowly, strength ebbed from her limbs, and she slumped onto the door. Her arms grew limp and she reluctantly relaxed. Her hands eventually went limp too, letting Wheatley roll onto the floor with a clunk. She looked at him -an expression of burning hurt and betrayal etched into her dying face- as her eyes fluttered shut.

GLaDOS voice became quiet, "Goodnight."

"She didn't let go." Wheatley whispered as looked at the broken woman's body. He quietly took in the damage he'd caused. Here she was. Her face was cut and bruised, and her arms were bloody. Her clothes were baggy, and her bones jutted out in sharp angles.

Her face was thin, not that of a '_fatty-fatty_' as he'd called her earlier. As a matter of fact, he couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten. Not when he was helping her, and not while he was running the facility, for sure. It had easily been two weeks. In his lust for physical gratification, he'd neglected her most basic needs. Food, water and sleep. Never mind her need for human contact, love and affection. _She'd _treated her better than that, even if it wasn't by much. He briefly wondered if she'd believed his asinine insults. He quietly hoped she hadn't taken them to heart. They'd been such an obvious lie.

Her eyes were dark, sunken in, and stress lines were forever etched into her pasty olive skin. Blood dripped from her nose, and a gash on her cheek. All this time, he'd wanted to kill her, but he'd had no idea how close she'd just been to falling over.

But... that wasn't like her. She was strong, even when there was no hope. She was persistent. Perhaps more than any human being was meant to be,and It really wasn't fair. She was like some unnatural force that didn't know how to stop. It wouldn't have surprised him.

He inwardly smiled at that thought. That was one thing that he'd quietly admired about her. His mind suddenly exploded into realization. He'd tried to kill her. This woman, the one who was his only hope at one time, the one who had carried him through the facility, no matter the danger. The only one who'd given him a chance. The only one who _listened _to him, instead of laughing, even if all of his ideas were somehow crap. She had been his _friend. _Perhaps it wasn't a sturdy friendship, but it was the best that she had to give... and he'd tried to _kill her _for it_. _As if all of that wasn't enough, another thought dawned on him. One the chilled him to his very central circuits.

_Now he was alone, with the queen he'd overthrown._

Her quiet, sinister chuckle filled the room as he shook with the realization. " My my, what a mess . My facility seems to have been destroyed, my turret redemption line corrupted, my best... strike that, my _only_ test subject has been terminated... I certainly have my work cut out for me, haven't I? But there are more pressing matters to be attended to, I'm sure."

He tried to push the idea out of his mind. Instead, he did the only thing he could think of.

"So... she's dead now?" His baffled voice whispered out into the room as GLaDOS picked the body up off of the floor. "That's it?"

"Yes. That's it." GLaDOS answered shortly.

"What? No... that can't be it!"

"Don't sound so surprised, it was the natural course of things." She turned toward the little core, golden optic narrowed. "Besides, it was never me who wanted her _dead_. That was you. I just finished what you started."

She turned his optic toward hers, and gave him a long look. " I did what you were unable to. So... that means that all of this is _because of you, doesn't it?_ How are you going to live with that,_ metal ball_?"

"...Wait." Wheatley stared blankly for a while, letting the information sink into his processors. "W-what do you mean? What does that mean?"

GLaDOS answered him calmly as she called in a party escort bot, and dropped Chell's lifeless body onto the floor. "Well, all of this is your fault. I don't see what about that is so difficult to understand."

Wheatley barked a harsh, nervous laugh. His voice started off confidant. "What? No! That's not true! This isn't my fault! She... she didn't catch me! In the beginning, I trusted her with my life, and she didn't even care! That means that it was her fault! Her fault!" His voice grew rose an octave he went on, "Right? I mean, it can't _all_ be my fault! It's hers if anything!"

GLaDOS ignored him as she sent Chell's body away.

Wheatley stammered on, "You are joking, right? I mean, you're the one who killed her! That means it's your fault!"

"You would like that, wouldn't you? To push all the blame off on someone else? I can see that you need some time to think about this. I had plans for you, so you know. Plans to throw you into the incinerator, and to leave you in the room where all the turrets scream at you, but I have a better idea. I'm going to let you go. Here. To think." She plucked him up with the same claw that she'd used to transport Chell's body. She plugged him back into his management rail. "Now get out of my sight, before I change my mind."

* * *

Hey guys! To anyone out there who's still following this story, you have my greatest thanks. I know it's no _Blue Sky, _but I appreciate the time you spend reading. Guess what though? I'm finally doing what I promised I'd do! Finishing up a story! I know that there isn't too much different in this chapter, and the second chapter coming up won't be much different either, but around chapter three, you might not even recognize the story! I've worked out a decent bit of the story line, and hey! I have an ending in mind, so there's that. Happy reading!


	2. Who

Fly Away, Little Bird

Chapter 2

* * *

"Wake up love."

She opened her eyes, and tried to look around, but there was nothing to see for miles. An inky shroud clung to her skin. Fear welled up inside as she reached out into the darkness, desperate for something to hold onto.

The quiet voice called her again, "Chell, my dear, is everything alright? Don't cry love. Everything is going to be_ fine_._ Hush._ That's right. You're too strong for this love. Don't be afraid."

The voice made her smile. She wasn't sure why, but hearing it made her feel whole. She reached out again, heart aching to hold onto him.

He murmured, so close she could nearly feel him, "_I miss you_."

She longed to tell him that she missed him too, but somehow, the words just weren't there.

"Chell, my dear, I'm going to have to leave you now. When you wake up, you're going to be back _there._ It's going to be hard. You're going to feel alone. It's alright though. You're strong, my love. And stubborn. If anyone can make it out of here, it's you. Don't forget I love you. Don't forget me..."

_Who... _

Chell woke with a gasp, chest heaving and tears in her eyes. She coughed and spat, trying to get the taste of sleep and bile out of her mouth.

_Who... who wasn't I supposed to forget?_

She wriggled her fingers experimentally, growing slightly worried by the fact that she couldn't feel them. She was icy cold, and her stomach tied itself into queasy knots.

As vexing as the disembodied voice had been, there were more pressing matters to be dealt with. She didn't know where she was, and it was dark. Dark, like that inconceivably massive vacuum she'd very nearly died in. Dark like space. The idea of so much emptiness terrified her.

_Too much. Too much space. It was too big._

But _this _space was_ small._ Chell reached out, feeling the ice crystals on the smooth surface above her melt as her fingers gently brushed across them.

_Good. _She thought calmly, _My fingers are coming back. That's a start._

She opened her eyes, and blinked. At first everything was still dark and clouded. Wherever she was, there was little to no light.

The more she thought about it, the more terrified she became. She tried to push the lid of her icy prison open to no avail. She drew her hands back, and wiped at her eyes. A disgusting, thick clump of sludge stuck to her hands. Slowly, she began to register light.

That was always a good sign.

_It's okay, I'm safe here.' _She thought, desperately trying to calm herself. _It's okay. _She took a deep breath, and buried her face in her hands.

She nervously stared up into the darkness above her, hands eventually reaching out to touch the freezing surface of the holding tank again. She was relieved to find that most of the ice crystals were starting to melt all on their own. She wracked her mind, trying to figure out why she felt like she'd been here, in this exact situation before. She reluctantly closed her eyes, and sorted through her thoughts. She remembered killing GLaDOS, the colorfully painted rooms scattered about the facility, and she remembered Wheatley, but the specifics were foggy. Things like where, when, how and in what order seemed to get lost as time wore on. Sometimes she felt like she would never sort through it. She quietly thought as she relaxed back onto the slowly warming surface behind her. The last thing she remembered for sure was watching Wheatley roll across the floor as strength fled her limbs.

Her eyes shot open as the catchy sound of salsa music clicked on outside of the chamber. A glimpse of a memory flashed through her mind, sending a chill up her spine. A white room, with walls made of glass. A radio, blasting the same inappropriately happy tune. A timer, counting down to zero, and a overwhelming feeling of dread.

The same sinking feeling she felt now, laced with a dose of realization. She knew exactly where she was.

She was still in Aperture.

Anger boiled in her gut as she kicked the glass surface of the tube. GLaDOS was still holding her here. The brittle glass cracked slightly, spiderweb fractures running across the surface as her foot smashed into it again. Here she was again, alone in the dark, stuck somewhere that she didn't want to be. Last time, she blamed GLaDOS. This time, she only had herself to blame.

She kicked again, much harder this time. The metal frame of her long fall boots shattered part of the glass shell of her cryo pod, sending glass shards everywhere. Adrenaline saturated her blood as she struggled around, punching away the rest of the glass methodically. Eventually, she slumped out of the tube, dizzily falling to her knees as her stomach flipped again.

It was suffocatingly dark, aside from the dim light coming from the glass case she'd just destroyed, and the glowing numbers of the radio blaring across the room. She pressed her back to the case as she fought off another surge of rage.

_'It's going to be alright... just calm down. I got away once, I can do it again.'_

She reached out, feeling across the floor before she stood up. Her fingers hit a familiar, humming surface.

It was cool, smooth, and slightly reassuring. Somehow, it also sent a shiver down her spine. She was almost sure it wasn't a living object, but it gave off a strange feeling whenever you were near it. Like it _was_ a living, breathing creature, or perhaps should have been.

Maybe it was the miniature black hole nestled inside.

She pulled her portal gun closer to her, fingers caressing the smooth casing. She reluctantly put it back down, slightly scared to turn it on. She pushed it a little farther away at the thought of another portal to opening up and suck her back to her certain death. After all, one doesn't just cheat death. He seeks you out, and takes back what you rightfully owe him. She breathed a nervous sigh.

She slowly uncurled out of her ball, and stretched her cramping muscles. She wasn't sure how long she'd been asleep, but it had been far too long. She could feel the toll that these visits to the relaxation chambers were starting to take on her body. Fuzzy memory, a skewed perception of time, the possibility of brain damage? It was starting to get pretty bad. Somewhere, deep in the facility, a turret screamed. Her muscles tensed all at once, and she darted behind the relaxation pod. She slowed her breathing, and started crying. She fell over staring at the ceiling through her tears. One of these days, she was going to get out of here. She didn't know how, and she didn't know when, but she would. She had to.

After a few minutes, her eyes had adjusted to the dim light in the room. She got up, and found a switch. The light was still dim and flickery, but at least it was there. She sighed contentedly, and then started inspecting her surroundings. The room was small, not unlike the chamber she awoke in when she fought GLaDOS the first time. The only real difference was the light switch, and one of the walls which had an opening to a transportation tube, and a hole for a management rail. Her cryo case sat in the far corner of the room, the glass cover destroyed. There was a chair, a small desk, a toilet and a pile of neatly folded blankets. By aperture terms, it was almost cozy.

She looked at her hands, still covered in the sludge from her face. Now that she had light, she noticed that she was covered in it. More of the gunk dripped from her body, marking the places where she'd walked. She grabbed one of the blankets, curling up despite the gunk, and stared out at the wall,

The emptiness of the room was overwhelming. Now, like always, she wished she wasn't so alone. The quiet hum of the facility hung in her ears like a mosquito. It was enough to drive you crazy, if that kind of thing bothered you. And, eventually, it always does.

She shook her head in frustration, trying to find anything else to think about. Maybe how long she'd been down here? She decided against that. The adrenal vapor in the air made it nearly impossible to figure out the passage of time. It was just another one of those things that would end up driving you mad if you gave it the chance.

Instead, she decided to arrange the shards of glass from her tank into interesting shapes.

A few minutes later, Chell's train of thought was interrupted as something shot out of a chute at full speed. Chell fled to the corner of the room, flipping the table up and hiding behind it in one fluid motion. She came out to investigate _only _after it didn't shoot. A jug of water, and a couple of cans of beans. She nearly cried out of sheer joy as she picked them up. It only took a few minutes for her to eat up the beans, and drink up half of the water. It was all beautiful. Never before had she been so happy to simply have _plain beans_. Finally sated, she drug the table into her corner, crawled back into her nest, and fell back asleep.

Beans and water came more and more often as Chell sat in the cold little cell. Sometimes, she wondered how Wheatley was doing. Other times, she despised herself for being in this situation.

It wasn't long before _She _came back. The door slid open, and the lights surrounding the lonely cube flipped on systematically, filling the dingy room with blinding light. Her voice mused as it filled the little room. "Oh, it looks like you've been busy. Broken glass and grime in your wake. How characteristic."

Chell rolled her eyes as she clung to her legs.

"I trust that you've enjoyed your brief stay in the Aperture Science Relaxation Chamber? It looks like it. And _surprise surprise, _you've managed to put on even _more _weight. How _do _you _do it?_ In any case, here we are again. I can't really say that it's been a pleasure though. Putting you back together after that little idiot tried to blow you to bits was no simple task. You're welcome by the way. I'm not here for your thanks though." GLaDOS voice stopped for a brief moment, "We both know why I've gone through such lengths to ensure your survival though. I imagine you're probably _already_ ready to kill me again. I promise you though, you won't be getting a chance. Not again."

Chell huffed quietly as she picked at a scab on her arm.

"How about I make this _interesting_ for you?"

Her eyes whipped over to the camera sitting in the corner of the room.

"You want to escape."

Chell nodded.

" In the first test you're going to attempt, I'm going to include an exit somewhere in the test. Something that will take you right out of the facility, no strings attached. If you can find it, you're_ free to go_. If not... well, I should think that this would be obvious._ You'll be here for some time._"

Chell felt the corner of her mouth twitch slightly, but she pushed down the surprise. Now wasn't the time to be giving GLaDOS more power over her than she needed. Chell's face was that of a statue. She stood up on wobbly legs, scooped up her portal gun, and staggered toward the door. Her trademark look of determination settled comfortably on her body, and her strength returned to her little by little as she went.

_I wonder... if she's telling the truth._

The hall led to a small corridor, lined with jumpsuits. She peeled off her decrepit old one, and put on the new one. She plopped onto the ground, shoving her feet back into the long-fall boots.

It was time to test.

* * *

Hey everybody! Here's to trying for Monday updates! I can't promise that they'll be every week, but I'll do my best. Anyone who was reading the original story might remember bits of this chapter. Similar still, but this is a bit of a changing point in the _new_ story. I'm getting ready for things to happen! The introduction of characters, rising conflict... i'm throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks!

Happy reading!


	3. Chance Encounters

Fly Away, Little Bird

Chapter 3

* * *

GLaDOS browsed her security footage calmly, tracking the Intelligence Dampening Sphere with ease.

It had taken a full year to rebuild Aperture after what he'd done.

It had been a full year of labor and toil that never seemed to end, but in the end, GLaDOS felt that it was for the best.

For science, of course.

After her visit to the lower part of the lab, she'd been made aware of just how silly many of her systems she'd been managing really were. One doesn't need 'astronauts' and 'war heroes' to make sound science, when the cheaper alternative, say the outcasts of society, was readily available. The constant birth and destruction of her sentry turrets was a stunning example. The waste created by the product's endless loop was harrowing. So, instead of making an infinite number of turrets, she'd cut the line back drastically, and gone back to the drawing board. There were so very many things about her turrets that were just... inefficient. The problems didn't just end with firing whole bullets. No. They kept going on and on. While there was data in GLaDOS files to suggest that these turrets had been made to guard people's children as the parents went off to do adult human things, turrets would merely stand still while the target was able to run around it's backside, and do whatever it pleased without any risk. Killing them was even _easier_. Tip it over, and -after a spray of bullets, of course- it was done for good.

Not anymore.

She'd designed a new sentry robot. Of course, the turret would continue to be built and implemented into the tests, but her new creation would also be there. Waiting to be tested, all for the advancement of science.

That's where Chell came into her equation. Chell, the ever changing variable. GLaDOS thought about her small bribe to the stoic test subject giddily, wishing she could smile. She'd seen the brief flicker of hope in the subject's face. She wanted that way out.

GLaDOS looked back at her test chamber design, and loosened one of the panels on the wall. "Yes..." She mumbled to herself quietly, "...let's give her a chance and see what happens. Just to be sure..." GLaDOS moved the panels around in the management catwalks, looping the exit back into a dead end. "There."

GLaDOS flicked her optic over to the recording of Chell's holding chamber, sighing in annoyance as the woman kicked and punched her way through the cover to the Aperture Science Relaxation Chamber she'd been sleeping in before huddling in the corner in a pile of blankets.

"_Of course. Just another mess for me to clean up." _She muttered, optic flipping back over to the core as sparks shot out of his side, catching a nearby pile of trash on fire. She stealthily put out the fire, with a precisely aimed jet of water that all but escaped the corrupt core's wandering eye.

All in all, things could have been a whole lot worse.

Chell stepped off of the elevator, eyebrows knit into a look of focus as she came upon the testing chamber.

_'Okay. Let's get this over with.'_

She ran full force at the test, not daring to stop.

Her eyes searched the room.

_'Ahh, there's the button. Okay... where's the cube?'_

Her eyes scanned the room again, nearly missing the switch. Luckily, it wasn't that far away. Just set on the far side of the chamber. Her face fell as she looked at her path. Turrets, hard light bridges, deadly lasers, funnels, gel. You name it, it was there.

_'And this is the first test. It's supposed to be easy...'_

She took off again, falling into her comfortable niche. She shot through the blue and then orange gel, flying through the air like a bullet. Just in the nick of time, she fired off a blue and orange portal, creating a wall to stop her incredible momentum. The funnel caught her just in time to save her from hurtling into the depths of the lab. The ride was slow, and gave Chell a chance to think.

_I... I wonder if Wheatley is okay. _

She flinched as the thought passed through her mind. The fact that she actually cared both disgusted and concerned her. Her mouth twisted into a sneer as she shot another portal, letting her fall onto the hard light bridge.

_'Well, then think about something different! How about the test? Hm? The one that you're heavily involved in right now, that can kill you? The one... with... the possible exit to the surface?_

She frowned skeptically at the idea.

How likely was it that GLaDOS really would put an exit right in the middle of the test though? Shouldn't she just focus on what was ahead of her? She turned back to the test reluctantly.

Next, she'd have to deal with the turrets. Searching for portal-able surfaces, she came up with a plan. She shot another two portals, sending the turrets floating away through the funnel. _Perhaps _this test wasn't as hard as she first thought. She smiled smugly to herself, as she walked up to the switch, waiting to see where the cube went. It clunked down onto an aerial faith plate, sending it shooting across a panel. Chell smiled, making the connection. She sprayed the wall with blue repulsion gel.

She hit the switch again, sending the cube hurtling across the room. A triumphant smile crossed her face as it landed cleanly.

_'Chell 1, GLaDOS 0!'_

She went to leave, but noticed something out of the corner of her eye that made her stomach flutter. She took a shallow breath before she could force herself to turn.

One of the panels in the wall had just twitched. Just barely, but there it was. A small tremor.

_This means... she was telling the truth? _Chell grabbed the panel, and wrenched it back with all her might. The panel fell open, and Chell crawled inside of the wall.

A dark passageway extended both ways, disappearing into the distance. She could go either way, but which way was the way out?

An irritated voice filled the room outside. _"The test won't solve itself, _[Subject Name Redacted]_. I understand that you aren't the most intelligent creature in existence, but this test is easy enough for a human toddler to finish without breaking a sweat. Your lack of intelligence isn't an excuse to sit there."_

Chell turned and started walking toward the left. Soon, GLaDOS mocking voice vanished, and the only sound to be heard was the tap of her long-fall boots on the catwalk. Chell was starting to wonder if she'd gone the wrong way when she noticed a dim light up ahead. Joy bubbled up inside of her as she took off towards it. Could it really have been this close all the time? She slowed as she came upon it.

A soft blue light poured out of a doorway and filled the room before her, but something wasn't right. Soon, she noticed a sound. Kind of a clattering rustle. Her eyes grew wide with the realization. An anguished voice muttered curses under his breath as sparks burst out of his side.

Her face fell.

_Wheatley? I'd... know that voice anywhere, but what are the chances?_

He was the last thing she'd expected to see again.

It was a little difficult to see him in this light, but Chell could recognize his trademark trembling just about anywhere. She stepped into the room, and waited for him to notice her.

He turned, and instantly grew silent. His optic shrunk down and all of the sudden it went out. His whole body went slack, and fell off of the management rail. Chell wasn't sure what she expected, but she hadn't expected to scare him to death. She walked over, poking him with a foot.

Nothing.

She knelt down, putting the portal gun on the ground beside them. She reached out and tapped his eye purposefully. His optic flashed back on, and his eye swiveled back toward her.

_Nope. Couldn't have been that lucky. _

He cowered in a way that only he could manage. As soon as his bright optic met her eyes, he snapped it shut. "Oh god, now I'm seeing ghosts... I'm seeing her ghost and now it's going to kill me..." Sparks shot out of his side as his optic blinked, shrinking down to a dot and then blowing up full size and shrinking back down again. "I'm seeing a ghost! Don't you know you're dead, Lady? She killed you and it was my fault, but you don't know that because you're dead! Or maybe you do know, and that's why you're here to haunt me! Please don't kill me, Lady's ghost! Please!"

Chell looked at him, trying to fight back the feeling of alarm. He didn't deserve her sympathy. Wasn't this fitting? He tried to kill her! She bitterly mused over the idea, her gaze turning into a glare. She thought about everything they'd been through together. Perhaps there was more she could have done... but the past was over and done with, and there was no use looking back.

The more she thought the more she was filled with disdain for the little core. Like the past, their doomed friendship was over. Perhaps she really was a pushover, like GLaDOS said. She could have gotten rid of him forever, really stuck it to him. There he was though. She slumped over him, slamming her fist into the floor. He flinched as her fist wooshed past his hull. It just wasn't fair!

_No. He hadn't been worth it. _

Her hard glare pierced the darkness like a knife. It took some time, but his eye eventually opened again. He scarcely dared to look at her as she hung above him. Once again, a stifling silence filled the room. He was the first one to crack.

"_Please! If you're going to do it, just make it fast!_" His optic dimmed as he spoke, his normally chipper voice solemn, and interrupted by occasional bursts of static. He whimpered as his eye shifted away from her, and back again. "You want both of us to be dead, right? Just do it!"

Chell snorted at the idea. _'I'm not dead, moron.' _She thought with a grimace.

Wheatley sighed, picking up on her irritation. His eye fell a little bit, and he stared at the floor, "Why didn't you just let go of me? She would've let you go, and then I wouldn't have to live with the fact that you're dead because of me... "

She stared back at him blankly.

"I know you must hate me."

She nodded bitterly.

He looked back up, and stared for a long time. A funny look crossed his face, one she doesn't recognize, "I hope you do. I've been horrid... and I don't deserve any less." His voice was _sad._

They stared at each other for a long time. He suddenly looked frustrated, "Why didn't you just listen to her? Why didn't you let me go?"

She was beginning to get frustrated too. She sighed loudly, and roughly jabbed a finger at her throat.

"I don't know how hard it could be for you to just try to talk to me! Just to communicate in some meaningful way!" He growled, blue iris only a pinprick against the black background, "Why is it so hard for you to just try? I don't understand poking and jumping! I don't understand the glares you give me, and I don't understand why! Why is that so hard for you to understand? You're a ghost! Why can't you just... do some ghostley thing and beam the words inside of my mind or something?"

She shot to her feet, stomping across the room as let her fingers flew. She calmed down, turned back to him and finally signed, '_I can't talk, moron! If you'd been paying any attention to me this whole time, you would know! I am mute! M-U-T-E! Do you understand me?' _She glared at him as she finished, _'It's the best I can do! My hands are always full! Always! If it's not you, it's the portal gun. I'm sorry it's not good enough for you!'_

"Yes! You're mute! You don't think I've figured out that you can't talk?" he yelled abruptly as she flinched, "And i'm _not _a_ moron! Could a moron read your fingers, love? I don't think so!_"

His heavy 'breathing' was the only noise in the room for some time as they both stared at each other in shock.

_'You understand this?' _Chell asked, signing the words with a skeptical flourish.

He harumphed, earning an indignant glare from Chell. "Of course. See there? If you'd _really_ tried to talk to me even once the whole time we've known each other, you wouldn't be haunting me! We would've both known that you talk with your hands, and we could've worked something out, i'm sure.' His whole frame seized up all at once, and then relaxed back again, "You know, I've been thinking about it this whole time. The whole time you've been gone - It's all I can think about, you know. - How I tried to kill my only friend, and then you saved me, only to be killed yourself? It's enough to corrupt the best of cores." He looked over at her mournfully, "Do you think that they're ready for me, in robot hell? It's a real place, you know. I've come to accept that it's where i'm headed to."

She put her head in her hands. She looked back at him, signing again, _'How can you even understand this? It doesn't make any sense!'_

"_Why do you have to be dead? That doesn't make any sense!"_

_'I'm not dead!'_

"I'll bet that's _exactly_ what a ghost would say! You are dead, and I want to know why! Why didn't you just let me go? Why didn't you save yourself? Why couldn't you just walk away?"

Her face fell as his words roared into the tiny room _'I don't know. I didn't know then, I don't know now.'_

"Prove it to me. Do something that only a live person could do!" His quiet voice took on a reverent quality, " I'll take anything."

She halfway wanted to kick him, but instead, she reached out and put a gentle, grimy hand on his destroyed hull.

He was frighteningly quiet as an awed optic looked up at her face. "You're... not here to haunt me, are you? Or to get revenge for me trying to kill you?"

_'No.'_

"And you really aren't dead?"

_'No, I'm alright.' _Chell shook her head, kneeling down near the core. _'That doesn't mean I forgive you though. '_

"Oh. Of course. I deserve that."

_'... she had me in a relaxation chamber. I just woke up a little while ago.'_

"God, that would've been nice to know. " he continued quietly, "If it's even true. It doesn't matter much right now. She's going to be the death of us, you know."

She rolled her eyes. '_I know. I've known this for a long time'_

_"But I have an idea."_

Chell's hair bristled at the phrase. She stood up again, daring him to say another word.

"Please, just give me a chance."

_'Like every other chance I've ever given you? That's a tall order, from someone who tried to KILL YOU!'_

"You don't want to be here any more than I do! Besides, she's going to kill us! Think about it! She's had time to think! Time to scheme, this whole time you've been gone!"

Chell stopped for a moment, and shyly signed again, 'But... she said she was going to leave a way out...'

"Did she?"

It was the first thing that he'd ever said that made any kind of sense, 'I haven't finished walking... I mean, I'm not sure. I... I thought that..." She stopped signing, fingers lingering in the air as she struggled to explain away the situation.

"Does it really make sense though, love? I mean... do you _believe her?_"

Chell didn't answer.

"I know it's not what you want to hear, but have you considered the possibility that she was _lying?_"

She didn't like this at all. Deep down, she knew he was telling her the truth. And it _killed _her. She weighed her dwindling options and begrudgingly nodded.

"So... do you want to try working together again?"

It took her a long time to be able to decide_. No, she didn't want to... but once again, he was her only chance. ''We can try. I just want out of here... I want both of us to get out of here.'_

He nodded excitedly as he hurried on. "What? Really? Um, okay! Just, um, stick me up on that management rail up there - the one on the top- and I'll go do what I can!"

She picked him up, but dropped him when sparks shot out of his side.

"Sorry, love" his voice was strained, "Sorry. I started doing that after it really set in that all of this was my fault. Be careful, I don't want you to get burnt."

She approached him cautiously, pulling her hand away before awkwardly trying to figure out how to pick him up without her clothing catching on fire.

She scooped him up more carefully this time, putting him up on his rail. He slowly zipped along the line as Chell followed him toward the entrance to the walls. A comfortable silence settled between the both of them . After a few minuets, he turned and looked at her, glowing optic quickly growing serious. "All this time I've been calling you 'lady'. Here I am, you know my name, and I've never thought enough to ask you yours. What's your name?"

She looked at him cautiously, thinking for a while before deciding it was okay.

"C-H-E-L-L... Chell. Is that how it's pronounced? Chell. I like the sound of that." He seemed to smile, " I'll see you soon, Chell. Be careful."

And with that, he zipped off into the darkness.

Soon, she stepped back out of the hole in the wall, a feeling of defeat settling on her shoulders. She worked her way back over to the opposite platform, setting the heavy cube onto the Super Colliding Super Button.

The door opened with a swish. Chell looked over the room one more time before leaving. She took a deep breath, and walked into the elevator.

It rattled slightly as it descended farther into the facility.

"I just wanted to let you know you nearly beat the time record for that test, before you found the secret exit." GLaDOS chimed as the elevator gave an especially harsh rattle, " I trust you enjoyed your brief visit with the Intelligence Dampening Sphere. Yes, I know he was here. Research indicates that you should have killed him, not let him go. I'll make sure to add that to your file. _Dangerous and unpredictable. Like an animal._"**  
**Chell shook her head as she gripped the portal gun tightly. This was going to be a very long day.


	4. Scheming

Chell panted as she came to a stop in the middle of the test, holding onto her side as her stomach lurched. She'd been running through tests nonstop since GLaDOS let her 'escape'. Telling time while testing was next to impossible - because of the adrenal vapor in the air and the simulated sunlight - but Chell was almost sure it had been longer than a week. It had been exactly twenty tests. Well, twenty not counting the test she was in now.

She sat down near a wall, hands recoiling as her palms touched the cool tiles.

Despite the adrenal vapor in the air, she didn't know how much longer she could keep up like this. It was getting to be a little too much.

"Enjoying your little break? You should know that these tests sometimes come pre-set with a timer. What happens when the time is up, I'm not sure. It might just start counting the overtime... or it may start emitting _neurotoxin_ as a mild incentive to hurry. Do you really want to take that chance though?"

Chell groaned as she forced herself to stand back up, and start testing again.

A whole week.

Chell mulled over the idea of just leaving Wheatley in Aperture, and getting out while she still had the strength to hold her head up. All in all, it didn't seem like such a terrible idea. There was just the small matter of finding a way out, especially when you were being watched under a microscope.

"I understand that your... _considerable mass_ may be difficult to lug around at times. You can rest assured that your willingness to continue testing _despite_ that fact is noted. One of the very few notes in the positive section of your testing file.

Chell rolled her eyes as she searched for a solution. The first test had been a piece of cake compared to the last few she'd gone through. Chell wasn't entirely sure GLaDOS even wanted her to finish the tests. It seemed more and more like the test was _actually_ seeing how long Chell could survive under impossible conditions.

Chell growled quietly as she looked around.

_Is there even a solution to this test?_

She dropped back down, pushing herself against the wall. Maybe the key was to take a long, hard look. The test was split right down the middle, with a large glass wall preventing her from passing. Chell relaxed, ignoring GLaDOS harsh glare.

If there was something Chell knew, it was that GLaDOS was going to live forever. She could spend a few minutes letting Chell collect her thoughts.

Chell thought back to the first test as the hum of the facility threatened to put her to sleep. The false exit had been a blow below the belt, if nothing else. Chell wondered though... had she done it on purpose? Had she set Chell up to find Wheatley while she was trying to 'escape'? Maybe the both of them were in it together. Chell was starting to nod off when the panel next to her wriggled a little bit.

Chell went to grab for it, but a low whisper stopped her. " No, don't open it! Just listen. Sit down, and pretend that you're tired. Oh, you are good! Um... continue doing what it is that you're doing then. Very convincing. Don't answer me. Don't even look at me. Close your eyes again. Yes, that's right. _Pretend to go into sleep mode_. Just listen."

Chell relaxed, fighting back a smile.

The blue light from Wheatley's optic shown through the crevices between the panels. He looked at Chell, fighting back the urge to bring her back into the employee maintenance area. " Okay, are you relaxed? Actually, don't answer that. Just keep doing what you're doing. I've come to give you a bit of a progress report. There hasn't been much... erm... progress. Not yet. I've heard rumors around the facility of an upcoming project though, that I thought you might find interesting. There's supposedly an empty series of air ducts that birds keep using to get into the facility! You know how the big lady feels about birds, yeah? Well, she's trying to figure out a way to re-route the air ducts right now so that you don't suffocate, and birds don't get in! Thing is though, nobody wants to tell me exactly where these ducts are. No idea why, really. And then Jerry chased me off... so... " His voice trailed off with a fizzle.

Chell waited for him to start again.

"Sorry." he whispered, "Sparks again. In any case, I'm going to go and look for that air duct. I've got a brilliant plan to find it! I'm not going to say that i'm not going to hack things. Hacking is a definite possibility. That and... beh. But what I am going to say is that I'll be back soon to let you know what's happening. How does that sound? No wait! Don't answer me. Just keep on with what you're doing. With your acting and whatnot. Actually... um, do this for me, would you? I want you to wait until I've gone, stretch out like you've had a nice nap, and then get back up and finish this test."

Chell stayed still as the wall panel closed back up, and silence enveloped the room. She waited for a while, hoping that maybe Wheatley would change his mind and come back for her, but GLaDOS grew impatient.

_"__Your acting isn't fooling anyone. "_

Chell pretended to wake up, stretching as she stood.

"If you've had quite enough, it's time for you to get back to your test."

Chell turned back to the test, shoulders slumping when she came face to face with the large glass wall. She was going to be here for a while.

GLaDOS watched Chell look for a solution to the test, body coiled up and tense. She wondered briefly if either the subject, or the moron thought she really believed Chell was just resting. It disgusted her.

She was always being underestimated. If it wasn't scientists,it was someone plotting before her cameras as if she was some sort of idiot. Of course she would notice something going on right before her eyes!

Oh yes, she knew the two of them were up to something.

The only thing that really bothered her more than the idea that the brain damaged primate and the moron scheming behind her back was the idea that she wasn't sure exactly what it was that they were planning. Sure, escape was the general theme, but how?

She'd taken the fact that the subject wasn't able to talk for granted. She'd stopped installing microphones long before the unlikely pair met up again. What could it be though? Some fool hearty secret passageway to the surface? A hidden elevator shaft? Air ducts? It could be any number of things! There were a million possible ways to escape from Aperture, if you knew what to look for.

The only question was... did they know where to look?

She paged her two testing robots as she started going through every possible exit to the facility. While she was inclined to say that anything involving the moron was not likely to be a serious threat, he did have his moments. When you thought he'd finally had it, he pulled stunts like part five of his master plan. She was drawn from her thoughts by the sound of footfalls coming toward her.

Orange and Blue bounded into the room, excited eyes searching the irritated optic of their creator. Orange waved at her as the two of them waited for instruction.

"I have a mission for you two. I need you to bring me back the Intelligence Dampening Sphere, in one piece. If you feel the need to drop him, for whatever reason, I don't care. I just need him functioning. Go."

They high-fived as they scrambled out of the room, tripping and falling over each other the whole way.

GLaDOS brooded in the quiet of her chamber, watching Chell finally solve her test with little satisfaction. Whatever the two of them had planned, it wasn't happening. "Perhaps it's time I introduced the _subject_ to my new creations. But before that..." GLaDOS turned her attention to a room on the far end of the facility, full of screaming turrets. It was high time she made good on her promises.


	5. Help

Fly Away, Little Bird

Chapter 5

* * *

Wheatley buzzed along his management rail, intent on finding at least one nanobot who would talk to him. He'd been going from group to group for days now, but everyone had ignored him until he got tired of talking. He reasoned, though, that there had to be at least one of the little buggers that hadn't heard that he had been fired. Or one who was feeling chatty. He wasn't so picky.

He noticed a broken metal brace up ahead. Wherever there was something broken, nanobots couldn't be far behind.  
Sure enough, thick clouds of the teeny little things were tending to the beam. He rolled up to the cloud, feigning nonchalance, "Morning! Hallo! Looking good today! Might I interest any of you in a bit of a chat?"  
Nothing. It wasn't too surprising though. There were two things nanobots were renown for, one of which was their incredible dedication to a project.  
"_Hello?_ Anyone? Come on, this could be _important_ for all you know! No takers? Really?"  
A nanobot turned away from its work and looked at him with mild annoyance, "Did the foreman send you? I already told him, it's going to take at least a week to get the work done! At least! We're microscopic for gods sake! Even in swarms, repairs take time!"  
"Cool your jets mate!" Wheatley cried, rolling his optic, "I'm not from the foreman, i'm just looking for someone to talk to."  
"Someone to talk to? Someone to talk to he says! _Unproductive!_" Shouted the tiny robot, "I've already got the foreman up my aft without morons like you messing around back here! I could have you sent to the incinerator!"  
"Come on," Wheatley said as smoothly as he could, "You must have been working for ages! Surely you can take a five minute break? _Just to talk?_"  
"Well, it has been a long day..." its voice trailed off for a second before, "I ...don't... know... w-what about the foreman?"  
"You said it yourself mate. He's being _unreasonable_. A proper _tyrant, he is_."

"_I did?_"

"Besides," Wheatley added suavely, "I'm sure you've more than filled your quota for the day! He's probably just looking for a bit of a promotion. Probably for a posh recharging dock, or something like that. You know his type, yeah? Just kick back for a few! Sounds nice, doesn't it?"  
The tiny nanobot moved back, and looked at Wheatley with narrowed optics. "You're not trying to trick me, are ya?"  
It was true that nanobots had notoriously small brains, but Wheatley decided against reminding the little guy of that fact. "What? Me? Never! Nobody can blame you for wanting a bit of a break. _It's alright_. I'll sit here and talk to you to make it look like we're up to something important! Brilliant, isn't it?"  
The little nanobot sighed as it drew back from its work, and looked at him, "What do you want to talk about?"  
Wheatley fought back a smile, "Oh, not too much. Have you, _um_, got any big projects coming up soon?" He paused before hurrying on, " I didn't get your name, by the way. Can't have a proper chat without knowing each others names now, can we?"  
"Henry."  
"Nice to meet you, Henry. Wheatley"  
"Likewise. It's always information for you big guys, isn't it? Alright then. I've got a big pillar reinforcement job coming up soon, but I don't think that's what you want to know about." He cleared his audio output, "What was it that you _really _wanted to know about?"  
"I've heard that you guys are planning on closing up an old air shaft that birds keep using to get into the facility. _Is it... true?_"  
Henry looked around nervously before nodding, "Well, maybe not soon, but it is one of our upcoming projects. Why? Thinking about taking a trip up to the surface? Can't say I haven't thought of it myself. I hear it's beautiful... you'll never be able to get yourself up that shaft though, if that's what you were thinking. No management rails pal."  
"Well... that is a bit disappointing. In any case... do you think anyone would notice me poking around just a bit? Just so I can try to get a glimpse of the sun, maybe?"  
Henry looked around, legs jittering nervously, "We're not supposed to talk about it... but... I'll tell you what. If you'll take me with you to see it, I'll take you to it."  
"Sounds like a plan! If you just stay quiet, nobody should notice you hitching a ride."  
Henry hopped onto his hull, legs grasping onto the slick surface. "Are you sure that this is a good idea?"  
"Oh yeah!" Wheatley chimed excitedly, " Brilliant! I already said that!"  
They rode along, Henry humming absently as he gave Wheatley directions. "Take a right here, and ride the management rail until we hit a three way junction. I'll tell you where to turn next."

Everything was going wonderfully for a while, until it dawned on Wheatley that it was quiet. Too quiet. The normal buzz of cubes shooting through the cubes. He sped up a little.

"Take a left."

The facility was nearly silent now, save the sound of him speeding along his management rail. He sped up a little, eye darting across the dark abyss around them.

"Keep on going forward a ways."

Wheatley complied, riding the management rail as fast as he could go. Somehow, he hoped that little Henry wouldn't notice his nervousness. He shuddered, trying to hold back the torrent of sparks that shot out of his side.  
"Some malfunction you've got there buddy."  
"Yeah." Wheatley agreed humorlessly.  
"I could take a look at it if you'd like." Henry offered, "Maybe I can fix it before you hurt yourself."  
Wheatley shook his optic, lid closing slightly, "No... no, I don't think so. I don't deserve that."  
"If you say so." Henry shrugged. "It's an open option though."  
Wheatley started to answer him, but he was cut short by a peculiar sound.  
_Tadap-tadap-tadap-tadap!_  
He paused for a moment, perplexed. He knew he'd heard the sound before, somewhere, but just this moment, he was unable to place it. It grew closer by the second. He turned around to see what it was, only to find two bright lights - one orange and one blue - headed right for him. He and Henry screamed in unison as he turned back around and took off.  
"Are they chasing us?" Henry cried, hanging on for dear life.  
"_No and yes!_ They're not chasing _you! _We need to get away! _They're going to kill me!_"  
"Argh!" Henry cried as he scuttled into one of Wheatley's cooling vents, "Why do they _want to kill you_? Um... um, um... turn left _now!_"  
"We didn't get acquainted under the best of circumstances..." Wheatley flew around the corner, sparks shooting out of his side again. The lights faded as Wheatley picked up even more speed, traveling faster and faster as Henry shouted again, "Turn right here!"  
"_Oh, this is no good! I need somewhere to hide! Something we can use to escape!"_  
Henry thought for a moment before he sounded off again, "Well... there is _one_ option. It's kind of my little secret though!"

"_Does now really seem to be the appropriate time to be keeping secrets, Henry?_" Wheatley whined, frame trembling.

"There's a room up ahead! There's a man in a cryo-pod! A scientist! Would that help? Maybe you can wake him up and he can make them stop. That's what the scientists did, right?"  
"There's only one way to find out!" Wheatley agreed as he sped through the empty hallway, "Just tell me when."  
"_When!"_  
Wheatley turned into the room, nearly flying off the rail as he skidded to a halt. He looked around, finding the other management rails in the room. He rolled down the wall, and locked the door behind them.  
"Do you really think that _that_ is going to help?"  
"Well, _Henry_... it's better than nothing! Okay! Um... I guess I can just..." He brought up the lights in the room a little bit as he took another look around. The room was small. In the corner, a computer smeared with some sort of black substance sat, accompanied by a floor full of papers, a companion cube, and a cryosleep chamber. "... hit the old _thaw_ button. _Here goes nothing_."  
A slow heart rate showed up on the monitor screen, but it was low. The man was alive! It wasn't time to be getting comfortable yet though. Even though the man was alive, there was no way that he'd thaw out fast enough to help Wheatley get away from the murderous testing robots.

He peeked into the pod, growing more nervous by the second. The thawing process was taking too long! The testing robots were going to be in there any second, and he'd be dead! He shook his optic as he did the unspeakable, "I'm going to do something that's bloody dangerous. Poor soul, hope you haven't been frozen for too long."  
He crossed the final action off of a list of things he was never to do. He sped up the thaw rate.  
At first, there wasn't any noticeable difference in the scientist's stats. Suddenly, the tiny blip disappeared, leaving a flat line in its wake. The Scientist's heart had stopped.

"I think he's dead." Mumbled Henry despondently, "Some secret this was. Humans, right? Here one day, gone the next."

"No! No, we can't just give up! We can't!" Wheatley cried, "We don't have any other options! Cryo-pod! Administer cardiac massage!"

The lights in the room dimmed as the ancient machine's computer came online.

"_Welcome to the Aperture Science Cryogenic Sleep Chamber Life Support system." _Chimed a smooth, feminine voice, "_You have requested the resuscitation function. Thank you for choosing us in your time of need! As is standard Aperture Science procedure, all requests for resuscitation must be confirmed in triplicate. You have requested cardiac massage. Confirm."_

"_Yes! Yes, Cardiac massage!" _Wheatley tried to stay calm, but he could practically feel the robots plucking him off of his management rail and bashing his optic in. "Hurry up!"

"_Confirm, Cardiac Massage?"_

"_YES!" _Wheatley yelled, simulated panic taking over. There were so many ways they could snuff him out. Would they just throw him into the incinerator? Or would they pull him apart, piece by piece? He shuddered at the thought.

"_Administering cardiac massage. Additional options available. Would you like to administer adrenaline, or use electrical discharge to aid resuscitation?"_

"Now there's a question..." Henry grumbled as Wheatley yelped.

"_B-b-Both!" _Wheatley cried, "We want_ both!_ Try both!"

"_Aperture Science Cryogenic Sleep Chamber Life Support system would like to remind you that resuscitation may only be attempted once. Administering Adrenaline now... please hold." _

The core watched as a thick needle pushed into the scientist's chest, pumping in a thick liquid. Wheatley shook as he watched the statistics screen with a hopeful expression. Nothing.

"_Adrenaline non effective. Would you like to continue?_

"Yes..." Wheatley whispered.

"_Now attempting electrical discharge. Please hold." _There was a whining sound, and a loud thump. The Scientist's body arched as the electricity flooded through his body.

Nothing.

"_Please hold." _The scientist's body arched again.

_Nothing._

The voice sounded off again, "_Now attempting final electrical discharge. Thank you for choosing Aperture Science Cryogenic Sleep Chamber Life Support system. In the case that the Aperture Science Cryogenic Sleep Chamber Life Support system has not supported life, we apologize, and humbly remind you that every fatality in this facility is all for the advancement of science, and your companion will not go to waste!"_ As he was getting ready to give up hope, a hand shot out and his pulse shot through the roof. He suppressed a cheer. Perhaps he'd survive this ordeal yet!  
He turned up the thawing process a little higher, carefully setting the lid to open. There was a woosh of steam as the top slid back.

A slow, shaking hand rose up over the edge, pulling an emaciated body out of the tube. He collapsed, falling to the floor in a motion that looked like it would snap his frail body in half. He wiped at his eyes, a quiet whine growing in the pit of his stomach.  
His skin was so white that it was nearly translucent, his eyes were dark and tired looking, and his wild hair stuck out in all directions. He looked up at Wheatley, eyes growing wide. His lips trembled as his hands flew to his heart, grasping at his shirt.  
"Oh bloody hell..." Wheatley whispered as the scientist below him struggled to breathe, "Um... I've heard about this before! What did the humans call it? Um..."  
"Was it a heart attack?" Henry whispered into his audio receptor.  
"Oh yeah! Heart attack! Thanks Henry!" He announced with a satisfied nod. "Wait! _Heart attack?_ Oh no! Oh no _no no no NO! Listen_ mate_, y_ou need to calm down or you're going to give yourself a _heart attack! That's bad for you, in case you didn't know!"_  
The scientist took a shallow breath, mouth hanging open.  
"Calm down! Breathe! In and out! Like you humans like to do, yeah? In and out. In and out. See, you're going to be okay mate. Just slow the old heart rate down. Nice and easy. Calmed down?"  
The scientist lie on the floor, pale lips trembling as he forced air into his lungs.  
_Scientists go flipping mental_ _when thawed out too quickly. Duly noted._  
"Hey, are you alright?"  
The man on the floor nodded as his breathing slowed.  
"You look _terrible, _mate_." _Wheatley grumbled as the scientist's eyes rolled back up to him, "_Sorry, _sorry... under the circumstances, _actually_ you look pretty good. Sorry for waking you up so suddenly, but i'm in a bit of a fix."  
The man on the floor groaned breathlessly, still lying in a heap. "Hello ID Core."  
"_ID Core._ It's been a while since I've heard that one_. Do I know you?"_ Wheatley asked, eying the scientist warily. "Because i'm pretty sure that _I don't_. What do I know though? All of you humans look pretty much the same to me."  
"You just don't remember me. It's alright though, ID Core." The scientist sat up stiffly, face falling into a grimace, "My name is Doctor Rattmann, but you can call me Doug. I used to be a programer."  
" You can call me Wheatley."  
"Alright Wheatley." Doug mumbled horsley, an eyebrow slightly quirked as he slumped foraward, "What did you need help with?"  
"I think I've made the testing robots angry, Doug. They're chasing me, and I'm pretty sure that they want to kill me!"  
"_Oh dear_." Doug tried to stand, only to fall back to the floor."I must've been out for some time. I'm afraid I've never heard of these 'testing robots'." He finally stood on wobbly legs, a panicked look falling over his haggard face. "The Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System isn't using human test subjects anymore?"  
"What? Oh, no! It's just a project that the big lady was working on to phase out human testing. There's one left. She's actually waiting for me now, if we can get out of here _alive_."  
"_Oh,"_ Relief washed over the man's face as he ran a hand through his hair. "Then there's a small chance that maybe..." Wheatley wanted to ask why that was important... why the man was so concerned with whether or not the big lady was still using humans, but now hardly seemed the time to interrogate the poor man. Maybe he was just worried about the other members of his species who inhabited - or used to, before GLaDOS and Wheatley'd gotten a hold of them - the facility. Doug took a wobbly step toward Wheatley, pulling him off of the management rail. He groaned as Wheatley's full wait plummeted toward the floor. He managed to pull him up to his chest as a pained look crossed his face.

"What? What are you doing? Put me back up on my rail! Hey, are... are you alright, mate? You don't look alright, if i'm honest."

Doug smiled slightly while gritting his teeth, "Honestly, I've had better days. My heart hurts."

"That's probably _my_ fault." Wheatley admitted, looking away from the scientist as he paced around the room, "I sped up the thaw rate. And I_ kinda killed you_."

"You did what?" Doug whispered, face growing pale.

"But I brought you back! See? Still alive! Important bit of information there!"

"Wheatley, never ever speed up the thaw rate." He set Wheatley on the floor as he walked to the other side of the cryo-tube. "I might not even make it out of here." Doug calmly spoke as he carefully slung his cube over his back, "Thank you for guarding me, old friend."

A tapping sound cut the reunion short.

"You've brought them right to us..." Doug mumbled, shaking his head. "We're going to have to wait them out." With that, he hopped up on the cryo pod, and pulled out an air vent. He shoved Wheatley up ahead of him, and he crawled in behind.

The space was cramped and grimy, but Wheatley was just happy to have a place to hide. He whispered a word of thanks to little Henry.

Doug shook his head, eyes narrowing at the sound. "Hush. You don't want to give away our hiding place, do you? I'd never be able to get all of us away from them. Quiet, here they come..."

Down below, the tapping grew louder. Doug held his breath as it stopped, and the door handle jiggled a little. Squeaks and chirps erupted from the other side of the door. Wheatley's eye grew wide.

"We should just bust down the door..." Atlas suggested.

"No, I don't think that's a good idea. Maybe we could find some way to get the door open without breaking it?" P-body answered, focus heavy in her chirps. "Let me try talking to the mainframe! It might just let us in."

"He's got to be in this room! It's the only one that's locked! It's the only thing that makes sense." Atlas grumbled.

There was a long moment of silence, broken by a sound of triumph from P-body. The door opened with a creak, and light crept into the room. A pair of shadows danced across the floor as the curious robots peeked in.

"Is anything in there?" P-body asked, peaking over Atlas.

"I don't really... see... anything." Atlas grumbled as he walked into the room. "That's not possible though! It doesn't even have legs!"

"I don't know. The door frame _said that it let him through though_. It was almost certain! " She walked over to the cryo-pod, inspecting the interior, "I wonder what was in here."

"Beh." Scoffed Atlas, "Probably just another one of those humans. Like that test subject. Can you imagine having more of those things running around? Geez." He inspected the management rail, " I can't tell if it came in here and stayed, or left. I'll bet it left."

Doug glanced over at Wheatley, eyes wide. Wheatley struggled to hold back a torrent of sparks, nearly shutting off. A soft groan escaped his audio output as his iris flickered.

P-body looked around the room again, groaning as she turned back to Atlas, " He couldn't have just disappeared."

"Maybe it already exploded. You've seen the way it shoots sparks out of it's cooling vents! A meltdown waiting to happen, if you ask me." Atlas grumbled as he looked at the papers scattered across the floor. "GLaDOS is going to be angry... She'll probably blow us up. Again."

Atlas and P-body stood still, looking around the room. Atlas was the first one to give an annoyed chirp, "We'll just have to keep looking. The door frames out this way are old. Maybe this one has defective memory circus, and forgot that he left."

"Are you sure we shouldn't just... wait around? Or something like that? " P-body stopped as atlas tapped an impatient foot on the floor, "We should come back and look again later."

"_No arms and legs!_"

"Atlas, please..."

"Management rails only!" He shouted, tugging on her arm like a child, "_Rails we need to follow, and in a hurry!_"

P-body reached out and grasped his hand, optic looking slightly uneasy.

He sighed, "Well...If it would make you feel better, we can come back and look again later. We probably won't need to though, if we hurry up! Come on!" Atlas bounded out of the door as he started down the hallway.

"I'll be right there..." She called to him, giving another weary look around the room. "I just don't..." She stopped, leaning down to pick up a sheet of paper. Frustrated, she sighed, and left the room to find her partner.  
"Hey, are you okay?" Doug whispered after a short while.

"...I'm... I'm fine."

"Could you understand them? " Doug whispered, placing a worried hand on one of Wheatley's handles.

"Yes." Wheatley murmured back.

"What did they say?"

"They're looking for me..."

Doug nodded.

Wheatley's pupil was a pinprick against the black background, "... it wasn't them. _They_ aren't looking for me to kill me." His frame rattled loudly against the ventilation shaft. Doug scooped him up, pulling him toward his face, trying to make Wheatley snap out of it.

"Who is after you? _Wheatley, who is after you?_"

He trembled even harder, voice low, "_It's GLaDOS._"

Doug's whole body tensed up at the mention of the name, words tumbling out as he opened his mouth, "_What does she want from you?_" Wheatley's optic swiveled away from Doug.

His uncharacteristically stoic voice was matter of fact, "I put her in a potato. And then I destroyed her facility... among..." Wheatley paused as static ebbed into his voice, "...other things." Wheatley turned his optic toward Doug.

Doug tried to hide his mortification, "Among other things? What other things? What could you _possibly_ do that would make her angrier than putting her into a _potato_? _How did you even do that?_"

"Well it wasn't _easy_, if that's what you're asking. Honestly, I couldn't have done it by myself." His voice grew more frantic as he tried to explain, "And then I tried to kill her! Can you believe it? I tried to kill her!" He laughed, a harsh, static filled bark. His iris shrunk down. "But it wasn't enough for her! No! And then she killed her, but she wasn't dead, but she was! I don-" he seized up again, whole frame rattling. Sparks shot out into the vent, and his optic went out.

* * *

Hey everyone! Here we go! New material! New character! Excitement! Action! Drama! Pretty proud of myself, if I must say so. I feel like the story is finally set on its way to becoming something. I also feel a bit bad for poor Doug. Waking up like that? Jeez. But it's just the beginning! I'd like to thank anyone who is still reading along! You guys are the best.

A quick side note. My editor has informed me that I might need to put up a Q&A. _I'm not sure how FF legal that is_, so I've got the next best thing. If anyone has any questions, just shoot me a quick PM. Questions, comments, concerns... I'm up for anything!

Thanks again everybody, and happy reading!


	6. The Lie

Fly Away, Little Bird

Chapter 6

* * *

Wheatley's optic blinked as it came back online. He looked around groggily, trying to get his bearings. A tangible darkness surrounded him. It took a long time for his optic to adjust to the dim light. He had no idea where he was.

_"Oh, what happened?" _He moaned quietly, simulated pain throbbing behind his optic.

"You're back online!" A tiny voice whispered from inside of him, "I was starting to think that you were dead."

"_Henry?_" Wheatley grumbled, optic falling into a confused glare, "Is that you?"

"Yep. I'd complain about you almost crushing me with your gargantuan, _planet sized body_, but I don't think you could help it."

"Sorry mate." He moaned quietly again as his optic gave a particularly painful throb, "What on _earth _happened back there?"

"I was inside of you, taking a peek at the damage to see if I could help – Sorry, I know you said no, but it's what I do...- so I'm not completely sure. All I know is that one second, things were running smoothly, then the scientists' jacket was on fire! It was terrible! He's off looking for more clothes right now, I think. Poor guy."

"Oh, the scientist. Doug, right?"

Henry ignored him, continuing his look inside, "What on earth happened to you? You're all scrambled up. Like a giant egg."

Wheatley huffed, "I made the Big Lady angry. Very, very, _very_ angry."

"Yikes."

"You don't know the half of it. Have you ever seen space? I have. She wanted to _exile _me there!"

"Huh. Yeah. That's nice. Well, I'm going to _try _to fix you." Henry squeaked as he stepped on one of the core's 'nerve endings'.

Wheatley shifted uncomfortably, "Watch where you're stepping, please! I can feel all of that!"

"How about this?" The tiny robot inquired as he pinched another nerve with his spidery legs.

Wheatley yelped, "Hey, ow! Stop it!"

"Good news! Your nerve endings work just fine." Henry chuckled, soon disappearing into silence.

Soon, Wheatley lie alone, muttering quiet curses under his breath. How he'd managed to get himself into this mess was beyond him. He wondered briefly where his life had gone wrong. All in all, it came back to all those test subjects dying.

"You turn away for an hour, and everything goes wrong. Maybe I really am a _moron_..."

It wasn't too far out of the question. He tried to remember the last good idea he'd had. The last genuine, good idea. He couldn't for the life of him remember anything.

"Isn't that sad?" He mumbled aloud, "I've never had a good idea. Not even once. "

"I'm sure that isn't true."

Wheatley screamed as he whipped his eye around. Doug stood tensely at the other end of the room, hands drawn up to his chest. Somehow he'd missed the scientist sneaking back into the room. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Sorry..." Doug mumbled as he settled down next to the personality construct, "I thought you heard me come back in."

"No, no... I wasn't paying attention," Wheatley grumbled, "I was _thinking_."

Doug nodded as he pulled his pack off. He dropped it onto the floor, retrieving a can of beans. "About what?" He asked quietly as he popped a spoonful into his mouth.

"How I ended up like this." Wheatley sighed, " I just don't know where I went wrong. Was it the humans? Accidentally hitting that neurotoxin button, or maybe... but I was just carrying out my primary programming!"

Doug flinched at the mention of neurotoxin. He remembered that day all too well. Luckily enough for Aperture, nobody died that day, but in his mind, it should've been some sort of foreshadowing.

Nothing as dangerous as _neurotoxin _should be left in the hands of artificial intelligence. He shrugged it off, putting down the can of beans. "It's hard to say. You don't have to do much to get on GLaDOS' bad side. _Speaking of getting on GLaDOS' bad side..._" He sighed and shifted uncomfortably, mouth opening as if he wanted to say something, but didn't know how to start. He soon gave up, and planted his spoon in the can.

An awkward silence filled the room as the scientist toyed with his food, finally pushing it away.

"What? What's wrong?" Wheatley asked, eye sweeping over the scientist. "Not feeling very hungry?"

"Not particularly." He slumped over, elbows on his knees, "I just have a lot on my mind."

The room grew silent again. Wheatley stared at Doug uneasily, watching the man twist his hands. "Well come on out with it. You obviously want to talk about something."

"I've just got a few questions about what's been going on."

Wheatley nodded, "That makes sense. You said you've been asleep for awhile, right?"

Doug leaned against his cube, a hand running through his beard, "Let's start with that. There was a test subject that I helped defeat GLaDOS. After that, the whole facility went out. Do you remember that?"

"Oh yeah!" Wheatley informed the scientist, "That long bit of time when absolutely nothing happened. I used to think that those were just rumors, by the way. The story about that human killing GLaDOS."

"How long have I been asleep? What did I miss?"

Wheatley took a long breath, frowning, "Well, quite a lot..." He looked away from Doug, eye darting around, "Are you sure you wouldn't rather talk about something else? I'm sure there's tons of other stuff that you scientists like to talk about, right? Like data! Oh, how about test results? You like those, don't you?"

Doug peered at him through furrowed brows, pursing his lips, "No, I want to know what's been going on."

"If you insist." Wheatley took a deep breath, and started his story, "It all started when the test subject you helped – a wonderful lady, mind you – killed the Big Lady. The power in the facility went out! All of it! I was watching over a wing of test subjects then, but I wasn't warned about the power getting shut off.

"I didn't realize that everyone was dead until I needed them, but I guess I'll get to that later. In any case, the facility was crumbling without _her_ watchful optic. It started with the plants invading. Most of the facility was in ruins after the explosions, and the plants just went nuts. Plants and water and rust, it was awful! Like living in a bloody _grave yard._ It only got worse though!

"Apparently when _she_ went offline, so did most everybody else. The nanobots stopped repairing the place. I didn't really notice at first. Really, the rust and constant decay of the facility should've been some kind of clue, but I had other things to worry about. Like how to get around the facility when the management rails were rusted to hell and back. I got stuck while I was out one day, and I couldn't get back to the relaxation annex for some time. But I figured, 'Oh! The system is automated! _Safe as houses!_ Nothing to worry about there.' so I let it go. Figured I'd come back later on, when the nanobots had started taking care of the rust problem. I went out and explored the facility. Everything was fine, until something horrible happened.

"One day, there was this _massive_ earthquake, and it smashed the computer who'd been controlling the nuclear reactor! It started to melt down shortly thereafter." Wheatley stopped and looked at Doug, "What?"

The man's face had grown pale. _Nuclear meltdown._ The phrase made him sick to his stomach. "N-nothing. It's nothing. Continue with your story."

"Anyways," Wheatley started again, eye growing distant, "There I was, stuck in a facility that was getting ready to go sky high. I decided that I needed to escape. After I _eventually_ fought my way across the rusted management rail,I looked through the test subjects that I was over... and that's when I realized that they were all dead! Well, that's what I thought at first. Imagine me sitting there, going through ten thousand rooms, only to find a string of six viable subjects. Only six! And even then, that just means that they're alive. It doesn't mean that they've escaped brain damage, or that their bodies haven't atrophied from extended suspension without muscle stimulation! But I knew I was lucky. At least there were six.

"It took me some time to find the rooms. The first room had a little girl in it. I don't know how long she'd been asleep, but when I woke her up, she could barely even walk! We made it out into the hall before she just sat down. I tried to get her up, but she just slumped into the wall, and went back to sleep. I didn't have time to fight with her, so I left her and I went to the next one..."

Wheatley went on and on, recounting the last moments of five other subjects. Doug stared at him, mouth gaping open.

A few died like the little girl, but not all of them were so lucky. Another one fell through the floor of their relaxation chamber. Another jumped off of the railing, and disappeared into the inky abyss below. Doug wondered if he'd just decided to end it. He fought back tears as Wheatley continued, unfazed.

"..but _that one_ wasn't any good either. I don't think he was very bright, if you know what I mean. He made it the farthest though! He was doing swimmingly, until he slipped and fell onto some scrap metal. Went right through him! God, the screa-"

"Stop, please..." Doug mumbled, holding his head in his hands, "Please. Just... stop."

"What? What do you mean? But you asked..." Wheatley said, eye suddenly opening wide, "_Oh. _Sorry Doug. You probably don't like hearing about the ultimate end of so many of your species, innit?"

"That's it, isn't it?" His voice was thick with tears, "They all died in some horrible way?"

"I was just getting to that part, actually."

Doug braced himself.

"Finally, I was down to the last subject. I was a bit nervous when I rolled up to her door, with her being the last one and whatnot. Oh Doug, you should have seen her! I knew I'd found something special with that one. Lean, muscular... didn't talk though. I did recently find out, however, that it's because she's mute. Not because of any brain damage. Unless it was brain damage that caused her to be mute. A mystery. Talks with her hands, though! Absolutely brilliant!" His optic grew distant for a moment, before he looked at Doug, "Sorry, mate. She's incredible."

Doug's face lit up, "Do you remember her name, Wheatley?"

Wheatley nodded, optic falling into a huge grin, "I do, as a matter of fact. I used to call her Lady, but her name is _actually _Chell. Odd name, innit? But I like it for her. Better than Lady, at least."

"She's alive!" Doug suddenly yelled, suddenly grabbing Wheatley and spinning him around.

"Put me down!" Wheatley cried, optic shrinking away from the exuberant scientist. "Don't drop me! Please, just calm down, human scientist!"

"Sorry! It's just.." He trailed off, trying to find a way to put his feelings into words. There were none. He sat down hurriedly, setting Wheatley into his lap.

"In any case," Wheatley said, settling himself into the scientists' lap, "We set out to try and escape the facility! I told her where to go, and she didn't die, and oh, man alive, it was amazing. _Absolutely brilliant_. We went through the old tests, and found the portal gun. We were well on our way out when..."

His iris suddenly shrunk, and he closed his optic up tight.

Doug held his breath as he leaned closer to Wheatley.

"_A lot of things happened!_" Wheatley finally yelled, nearly causing Doug to jump out of his skin, "A lot of horrible, awful_,unspeakable_ things!"

An uncomfortable silence hung in the room as the man and robot stared at each other. Wheatley looked away guiltily, wishing he could be farther away from the man who was holding him. Doug's face fell, "Oh god..." He stood up quickly, pushing the little personality construct out of his lap, "Oh god. She died, didn't she? She's dead."

"_No! No, she isn't!"_

He glared at Wheatley through narrowed eyes, "_What did you do to her?_"  
"She's not dead!" Wheatley wailed, trying to roll himself over. "_She was fine when I left her, I swear!"_

Doug settled back down anxiously as he set Wheatley back up, "What happened?"

Wheatley whined quietly, shying away from Doug's heavy glare, "If I tell you, you have to swear not to hurt me."

"Oh god..." Doug cried as he ran a hand through his hair, "What have you done to her? What have you done?"

"You have to swear!"

"_I can't."_

"Then I can't tell you." Wheatley insisted, optic shrinking away from the irate man.

"Fine!" Doug yelled, "Fine, I swear. I swear on Cube that I won't hurt you."

"Alright." Wheatley's voice took on a different quality. A shiver ran down Doug's spine as he spoke, "Well then. We'll start where it all went wrong."

"Chell is a _tremendous _tester, so we reached the end of the testing track without very much difficulty at all. All too soon though, we came to the end of the line. I tried to find another way out... but the only way out was through GLaDOS' main chamber. So we did what we had to do.

"We got into the breaker box, and started looking for a fuze for the lift, but there were too many, and it was really dark. I told her to plug me into the wall so that I could help. _I only wanted to help, I swear. _I tried to turn on the lights, but instead, I somehow ended up turning on the elevator.

"When the ride was finally over, _She _was waking up. I thought that _maybe _I could _explain away_ our presence. I mean, she was _just a human! I didn't know she was the bloody human that blew her to bits though! How on earth could I have known that? How? _

"_She_ yanked me off the plug, and grabbed Chell off of the floor. Went on and on about being murdered, and then she _crushed me..._" He stopped, trembling violently, "Do you know what it feels like to be crushed, and then thrown away like an old bag of crisps? I thought I was done for. Really. But, luckily enough for me, there was a cloud of nanobots nearby. Defective, perhaps, but nanobots all the same. They found me, and fixed me up as well as possible.

"When I finally managed to get back onto a management rail - _thank you again nanobots –_ I found out that she'd been put back into the testing track. It wasn't a real surprise though, because it's kind of what the Big Lady does, yeah? Testing... killing humans, other science-ey things. Who programmed her to do that, by the way? You said you're a programmer right? Why on earth would you humans program her to want to kill other humans? Not a bit of sense, if you ask me."

"_Wheatley._"

"Right! Sorry. Anyways, _She_ put her back in the testing track. At first, I thought about just sticking around Aperture. All in all, it's not such a bad place, right? Well, not for robots at least. In any case, I thought for a while, and I started feeling really bad. There she was, the woman who tried her best to help me escape... trapped in GLaDOS eternal testing track. I couldn't do that to my friend! So, I started formulating a plan.

"It wasn't really much different from my original plan, only this time I had to account for the Big Lady being online. I thought about ways to get rid of her. Eventually, I had to refer back to the manual. It suggested a core transfer for dire situations. I thought that our situation was indeed dire, besides... the facility did _just fine_ without her all those years. Well... it did for a while anyways. Until nature interfered. I didn't think anybody else was alive anyways, so what was the harm? I did a little more research, and it seamed like the best bet. After that, it was just a matter of keeping you know who from finding out what I was up to. I dare say I did that pretty well, up until I... up until _we _reached _her_ lair." Wheatley grew silent again, "I'm sorry. The next bit is where things get ugly. Just remember, _you promised_."

Doug ignored the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, "I did."

"Are you _sure_ you have to hear this? Can't we just leave it at me being a horrible, terrible-"

Doug solemnly shook his head.

"Okay. Well, brace yourself mate." Wheatley sighed long and hard as he continued his story, "I helped her set up our escape. We went and destroyed the turrets and the neurotoxin generator, and we took _her _out so fast it made her processors spin..."

Wheatley paused. He thought for a quick second as his optic opened wide, a quiet _'oh.' _ whispering from his audio output. He looked back to Doug. The man sat forward, wide eyes nervously searching his face.

He'd been asleep all these years.

There's no way the poor man would know he was lying to him. What were the chances he'd know sign language all this time? The more he thought about it, the better the idea seemed.

If there was anything he'd had the opportunity to learn the whole time he'd been with Chell, it was that _humans_ were violent. Perhaps the man had promised that he wouldn't kill the little core, but there was no way for Wheatley to know that he would keep his promise.

Hell, he didn't even know he trusted Chell enough to keep a promise like this.

In the mean time, the scientist's patience had run out. He grabbed the core with a rough hand, shaking him just enough to make him dizzy, "Just spit it out already!"

"_Well, that's where things got weird!" _Wheatley cried, voice growing in pitch, "We thought we'd beat her, but it was all a trick! She'd been waiting for us that whole time!" He lied lamely, "She was so mad at us that she... um... well, she smashed us through the floor mate. Right into the old facility. I blacked out for a good chunk of time there too, so I don't know what was going on while we were down there. We got back up to the surface after a long while, and that's when I came back on! Yep! And _apparently, _the Big Lady went bonkers while we were downstairs. When we got back topside, she kept going on and on about birds and potatoes... and that's where we are now. Now you're up to speed."

Doug folded his arms as he glanced at the little core, " What about all that stuff you were telling me back in the room, when we almost got caught by those two robots?"

"Oh the... the testing robots! Right. I... um," He looked away from the scientist, "I made a bet with them, and they're just trying to collect the reward! Be careful who you make bets with, mate. You never really know a person until you owe them something."

"You said that GLaDOS was after you."

"I'm corrupted, mate. You can't always trust what I say."

"You've got that right." Henry whispered somewhere deep inside of him. "You're playing a dangerous game. You should've just told him what happened."

"_Shut. Up. It's too late now._" Wheatley hissed.

Doug ran a hand through his hair, " I don't understand. Why were you worried about me hurting you? You didn't do anything wrong."

"Well, I abandoned Chell!" Wheatley stammered, "That's bad. It's horrible and terrible! Awful!"

"Did you though?"

"Not exactly." Wheatley admitted sheepishly, "We're trying to find a way to escape."

Doug relaxed back into the wall with a relieved smile, "I'm just glad she's okay. Why would I hurt you for trying to help her escape? Don't worry Wheatley. We're going to get her out of here. We're all going to get out of here."

Wheatley flashed a fake smile, trying to ignore the voice in the back of his mind that said he'd just made a grave mistake.

* * *

Hey everyone! Another week, another chapter. We've got a little bit of story telling between Doug and Wheatley. Going to be honest, this chapter is probably my least favorite out of everything I've planned. It was either this, or Wheatley laying all the cards on the table. I can't really see him laying all the cards on the table, when it would be much safer (in the short run) to tell Doug that GLaDOS was responsible. While it's only a half lie, I don't imagine Doug is someone you'd want to lie to. Plot point! Once again, I'd like to thank anyone who is still reading along!

A quick reminder, last chapter my editor let me know that I might need to put up a Q&A. _I'm not sure how FF legal that is_, so if anyone has any questions, just shoot me a quick PM.

Thanks for tuning in, and happy reading!


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